11th Aug, Phoenix

The 2nd record of Phoenix turned up on the wall near the trap, it's size and the large wing bar stand out immediately.
I quickly potted it up before one of the numerous Large Yellow "Blunderwings" disturbed it ...

BF1754 - The Phoenix - Eulithis prunata

Quite a few 2nd generation moths are showing up, lots of the smaller Brimstone Moths, plus Vine's Rustic, Small Ranunculus amongst others but the traps are still heaving with the common brown moths.
Orange Swift appeared for the first time last night and the Toadflax Brocades have done well with record numbers this year so far.

BF15 - Triodia sylvina - Orange Swift

Migrant moths seem to also be doing well, Plutella xylostella, Silver Y, White-point (2nd last night) and Small Mottled Willow appearing in the Upper Caldecote traps, plus a pending possible Pearly Underwing , there's a mouthful !
The underwing ( shown below) doesn't show up as white like the similar and very common Turnip Moth,  these are almost see-through, and the heavy veins are unusual. The "hairstyle" is more like Turnip than the "mohican" style of Pearly but it is a little worn. One for the county recorders.

2nd Aug 2014 .. Oranges and Lemons

10/11/12th Aug 2013 ... A select few

 Above: A very washed out Large Twin-spot carpet, 10th Aug

Below: Mompha propinquella by the look of it ... to be dermined
Wrong ! (again) 

0266 ... Bucculatrix nigricomella

 Above: A "year first" Rosy Rustic

Below: First appearance of Agriphila geniculea, followed by several others

 Above: Orange Swift new for 2013

Below: 2nd record of Twin-spotted Wainscot

Below:  2 x  pristine Vine's Rustic in the trap 11th Aug

A garden first record of Willow Ermine although this has probably been disregarded in the past in amongst the numerous Bird-cherry, Apple and Spindle Ermines.

428 ... Yponomeuta rorrella

12th Aug, a year first Square-spot Rustic,
first of many .......

2134 ... Square-spot Rustic ... Xestia xanthographa

20th Aug 2011...Trap results

Overnight min temp...12.1 deg, calm, patchy cloud.
60 x Turnip Moth
21 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
23 x Vine's Rustic
16 x Orange Swift



ORANGE SWIFT

 12 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
13 x Straw Underwing
15 x Large Yellow Underwing
8 x Pale Mottled Willow
3 x Brimstone Moth
2 x Lime-speck Pug
3 x Garden Carpet
2 x Mouse Moth
4 x Copper Underwing agg
3 x Cloaked Minor
6 x Common Wainscot
8 x Willow Beauty
2 x Flounced Rustic
1 x Buff Ermine
2 x Cabbage Moth
1 x Bordered Pug
6 x Double-striped Pug
2 x Lime-speck Pug
1 x Tawny-speckled Pug
1 x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1 x Yellow Shell
4 x Riband Wave
1 x Iron Prominent
1 x Light Emerald
1 x Spectacle
1 x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1 x Dark Arches
2 x Common Rustic agg
1 x Chrysuteuchia culmella
3 x Agriphila tristella
9 x Agriphila geniculea
2 x Emmelina monodactyla
2 x Endrosis sarcitrella
5 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella
2 x Cydia pomonella
3 x Acentria ephemerella
1 x Alucita hexadactyla
1 x Galleria mellonella
1 x Epiphyas postvittana
2 x Scoparia ambigualis
1 x Endotricha flammealis
3 x Blastobasis adustella
1 x Pyrausta aurata
1 x Ypsolopha scabrella
1 x Monopis laevigella

12th Aug...Wine bet taken to new (low) level !

overnight min temp:- 14.4 deg
calm...humid...early morning rain...soaking traps
Captain Trappings has resorted to sneaky tactics.....after falling behind in the Great Wine Bet for the most garden species in a year, he has managed to entice/kidnap/lure/sweet-talk County Micro Recorder David Manning to check every leaf on every plant/shrub/tree in his garden and took great delight in telling me that another 20 or so micro moths will be added to his list as a result of the leaf mines found.
This bar-raising dastardly tactic will put me in third place, with Daylight second, so a stepping up of night patrols will be the order of the day, at least until my begging letter arrives on Mr M's doormat !
60 species recorded last night with only one year first entry, Cacoecimorpha pronubana, Carnation Tortrix, a common micro at The Dells.
My garden list for the year has now reached 380 and my early season target of 400 now looks very modest.

CARCINA QUERCANA

87 x Turnip Moth
52 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
12 x Large Yellow U'wing
2 x Lesser Yellow U'wing
1 x Tawny-speckled Pug
1 x Ruby Tiger
5 x Copper Underwing agg
2 x Brimstone Moth
4 x Yellow Shell

ORANGE SWIFT Female, 42mm wingspan

5 x Orange Swift
3 x Riband Wave
3 x Cloaked Minor
3 x Uncertain
6 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1 x Flame Shoulder
1 x Marbled Beauty
5 x Common Wainscot
2 x Least Carpet
3 x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow U'wing
2 x Garden Carpet
2 x Toadflax Pug
6 x Double-striped Pug

1 x Currant Pug (above)
3 x Common Rustic agg
2 x Small Dusty Wave
3 x Buff Ermine
1 x Common Carpet
1 x Poplar Hawkmoth
3 x Vine's Rustic
4 x Willow Beauty
1 x Flounced Rustic
1 x Small Waved Umber
2 x Pale Mottled Willow
1 x Mouse Moth
2 x Limnaecia Phragmitella
3 x Blastobasis adustella
3 x Argyrotaenia ljungiana
1 x Acentria ephemerella
1 x Pyrausta aurata
1 x Trachycera advenella
4 x Epiphyas postvittana
1 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella
2 x Endotricha flammealis
1 x Alucita hexadactyla, (Twenty-plume Moth)
2 x Crambus pascuella
1 x Monopis obviella
1 x Lyonetia clerkella
1 x Cydia pomonella
2 x Dichrorampha sp
1 x Cacoecimorpha pronubana, year first
1 x Mompha sp
2 x Cochylis dubitana
1 x Ypsolopha scabrella
1 x Agriphila straminella
1 x Agriphila tristella
1 x Chrysoteuchia culmella
2 x Yponomeuta cagnagella
1 x Acleris variegana
1 x Agonopterix alstromeriana


 

3rd Aug....Big Night !

Overnight min temp = 14.4 deg
calm, humid, cooler breeze after midnight, rain at 0400am
Best night so far with some amazing species. Yet again, over 100 Shuttle-shaped Darts were counted in the two traps.
A recce of the garden at 22.30 paid off with a White-spotted Pinion on the back wall.

WHITE-SPOTTED PINION

More Toadflax Brocade (2) were caught, making 10 for the year. But no more Small Ranunculus...... 


ORANGE SWIFT 0015

 ......Other highlights were Early Thorn, Dingy Footman and a year first Orange Swift.
It was the micros that caused the most excitement....
A garden first Argyresthia goedartella has surely been overlooked in the past as there were large numbers present.
A year first Pandemis corylana was expected, but the big news was finding 1397a Diplopseustis perieresalis.
It is not yet official but I think there is little doubt.
Our micro recorder David Manning agrees with me but will submit it to a higher authority due to its rarity, and thanks also to Captain Trappings, to Ben Sale of Essex Moths fame, and the irrepressable Mark Skevington for backing up the ID.
If it is officially accepted, it will be just the 4th record for the UK as far as I know.
First recorded in Tresco, Scillys in 2001, then again in Exeter in 2007, with another in 2008 in Bishops Stortford,in the neighbouring county of Hertfordshire.
SO, here it is.......any comments/opinions will be most welcome...



DIPLOPSEUSTIS PERIERESALIS 1397a

I have had plenty of egg on my face in the past with ID !!!
I like this one though. Publish and be damned....THIS HAS NOW BEEN ACCEPTED.

22nd Sept....Nice variety, but fairly quiet

LARGE RANUNCULUS

No year or garden "firsts" for 5 days now, the autumn moths are not coming to the party as yet. Still need 14 to reach my 200 macro target for The Dells garden. No Chance of catching the Manor Place garden which is sitting pretty at 223. I'm not going to the off-licence yet tho, but it's looking like I am probably up for an expensive bottle of the vino. Last night saw a few nice moths but nothing to add to the tally............

The humble SHUTTLE-SHAPED DART

Just the one ORANGE SWIFT in the Skinner last night

It's been a while since I have seen one of these....GOLD TRIANGLE (forgot the Latin name)

ANGLE SHADES

ROSY RUSTIC

15th Aug.... New arrivals

Still on the cool side but dry and clear. On the wall near the Skinner was a "first" for The Dells garden, a BULRUSH WAINSCOT

a garden "year first" for this ORANGE SWIFT....... This was a very common record last year, so many more to come.

A common micro but the first one recorded in The Dells....

ACLERIS VARIEGANA or Garden Rose Tortrix in the vernacular

There may be additions after I check the trap in the morning before work. Hopefully more new arrivals. My target for the year was a modest 120 species of macro moth but the total at present is 170. My new target is 220 which I think is possible.............so, 50 more to go !